No-Self, No-Form Β· Internal Version¶
Overview¶
"No-Self, No-Form" (η‘ζη‘ηΈ) is the core gateway to the Elysium World and to becoming an immortal or Buddha within the Lifechanyuan system. No-Self means dissolving ego-attachment β living in the heart of the Greatest Creator rather than the heart of "I." No-Form means transcending all forms (physical, mental, moral, spiritual, and cognitive) to return to the primordial state of emptiness (η©Ίζ§). The two converge in the defining equation:
Emptiness = No-Form = No-Self = Ultimate Nirvana = Elysium World = Tao = Buddha = Celestial Immortal
Related entries: Zero-State Β· Self-Coherence Β· Eight No-Realms Β· Formless Giving Β· Illuminate the Mind, See the Nature Β· Self-Nature (Buddha-Nature)
I. Definition and Essence¶
Remember, the core of Buddha's teaching is: No-Self, No-Form β a heart that dwells nowhere, a heart with no attachments.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Transmission Chapter Β· The Secret of Becoming Immortal: No Longer Possessing Oneself
From this we can logically arrive at one conclusion: Emptiness = No-Form = No-Self = Ultimate Nirvana = Elysium World = Tao = Buddha = Celestial Immortal.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Emptiness Is Ultimate Nirvana
There is a passage into the Elysium World. That passage is: emptiness, no-form, no-self.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· The Passage into the Elysium World
"Self-coherence" is the Tathagata β "no self-form, no other-form, no being-form, no life-form, no dharma-form, and no non-dharma-form."
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 493
A heart that dwells nowhere, a heart with no attachments, No-Self, No-Form β free and self-coherent. Going with the flow, roaming spontaneously, united with the Tao, carefree and unbound.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 497
The greatest Self is No-Self.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 674
II. Distinctions and Boundaries¶
(i) The Five Categories of Form¶
Forms include physical forms, mental forms, dharma-forms, non-dharma-forms, and non-non-dharma-forms. Only through No-Form does one become a Buddha; only through No-Form can one enter the Elysium World.
Physical forms: Everything seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or touched.
Mental forms: All states arising within β joy, anger, grief, pleasure, fear, shock.
Dharma-forms: Rules, laws, constitutions, contracts, doctrines, rituals, time, space, nations, ethnicity, political parties, religions, families, interpersonal relationships.
Non-dharma-forms: Sages' teachings, scriptures, intentions, ideals, aspirations, vows.
Non-non-dharma-forms: Emptiness, existence, the virtual, the real, good, evil, true, false, beautiful, ugly, longevity, premature death, life, death.
When the state of No-Form is reached, all of the above vanish from consciousness; none of them remain as obstacles or shackles on the path to the Elysium World.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Breaking Dharma-Forms and Non-Dharma-Forms
What is form? Everything perceived through sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch is form. Furthermore, morality, concepts, rules, laws, taboos β anything that restricts the mind, imprisons life's freedom, blocks the liberation of the spirit, or suppresses the unfolding of human nature β these are all forms, specifically dharma-forms.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Clinging to Forms Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
(ii) No-Self β Annihilation of Self¶
Give up the self, and you gain the self. Cling to the self, and you ultimately lose it.
Without self, there is self everywhere β only in reaching the state of No-Self can one find the true "I" β the Tathagata.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Having a Self Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
With No-Self, the road ahead is sunny and clear. With self, the path is thorns and spears at every step.
β Guide's Other Articles Β· 2024 Β· Without Removing Ego-Attachment, Thorns Fill the Path
The state of emptiness is the state of No-Self, No-Form. Only then will you understand the meaning of "without self, you find the self" and "without self is the true self."
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· The Passage into the Elysium World
(iii) No-Form β Dead Emptiness¶
No-Form is not the same as empty form. If one clings to a state of emptiness, one is still clinging to a form β that is an extreme, and has not yet reached the state of No-Form.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Clinging to Forms Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
The Elysium World is entirely a world of forms β a state of "possessing everything." The journey from breaking forms to entering a world full of forms is the journey from "having nothing" to "having everything."
β Guide's Other Articles Β· 2021 Β· How Difficult It Is to Break Forms
(iv) Four-Vehicle Classification¶
The Buddha's thinking is No-Form thinking β no physical form, no mental form, no dharma-form, freely flowing, unmoved.
Reading through the Diamond Sutra, its core is the Buddha showing us the highest vehicle of Dharma β No-Form thinking and the No-Form state.
Those of the small vehicle: have self, have form, have scripture. Those of the middle vehicle: interpret self, interpret form, interpret scripture. Those of the high vehicle: No-Self, No-Form, no scripture. Those of the highest vehicle: standing on the other shore, smashing Buddha, smashing scripture.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· The Highest Buddhist Dharma Has No-Self and No Scripture
III. Signs and Standards¶
(i) The No-Form State Described¶
What is the state of No-Form? It is a state of primordial chaos (hundun): heaven is not heaven, earth is not earth, the two cannot be distinguished. No up, no down; no edges, no corners, no shape or form; no large, no small β taking any shape. No past, no future β no beginning, no end. No coming, no going, no birth, no death β only the eternal. No good, no evil, no true, no false, no beautiful, no ugly β no duality, no yin and yang, no division into two β everything merging into one. No love, no hate, no seeking, no abandoning β still as the Tathagata. No gods, no Buddhas, no immortals, no humans, no animals or insects or bacteria β only structure. No heaven, no hell, no human world β no space, no time, no existence, no non-existence β only the movement of the Tao. No rules, no systems, no constitutions, no laws, no doctrines, no rituals, no gates, no taboos β only living spirit. No sound, no tone, no breath β only resonanceβ¦
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Clinging to Forms Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
(ii) The Three Steps to Immortality¶
Three steps to becoming immortal. First step: Bid farewell to worry, pain, sorrow, anxiety, and fear; live in joy, happiness, freedom, and bliss β you have already become an immortal. Second step: A heart that dwells nowhere, a heart with no attachments β going with the flow, roaming spontaneously, in delight at every moment β you are already an immortal. Third step: No heart β everything is nature, living within nature, fluid and sensitive, possessing 64 supernatural powers. A heart that dwells nowhere, a heart with no attachments, No-Self, No-Form β free and self-coherent. Going with the flow, roaming spontaneously, united with the Tao, carefree and unbound.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 497
(iii) The Diamond Sutra on No-Self, No-Form¶
The Diamond Sutra says: "Subhuti, if a Bodhisattva has the notion of a self, the notion of a person, the notion of a being, or the notion of a lifespan, he is not a Bodhisattva." "The notion of a self is not a notion; the notions of a person, a being, and a lifespan are not notions." "Departing from all forms is called all Buddhas." "All dharmas have no self, no person, no being, no lifespan." "If a Bodhisattva penetrates the Dharma of No-Self, the Tathagata calls him a true Bodhisattva."
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Having a Self Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
IV. Cultivation Practice¶
(i) Eighteen Directions of Practice¶
No-Self, No-Form, no attachments, no worries, no anxiety, no fear β this is the state of immortals and Buddhas, not the state of ordinary humans. Humans can only keep approaching this state but will never fully arrive β unless they have already become immortals or Buddhas yet remain in the world.
How can one work toward No-Self, No-Form, no attachments, no worries, no anxiety, no fear? Through the following eighteen directions.
Recognize that your life was created by the Greatest Creator, who watches over all life. Do not worry about your survival, loss, or honor β the Greatest Creator is watching over you. Place your life in the Greatest Creator's hands.
Life has a trajectory. The Tao's script has already arranged every person's story β birth, aging, illness, death, fortune, and misfortune are already set. Each person's efforts only prepare the next life. Place your life in the Tao's management.
Everything the eyes see is illusory and impermanent, ceaselessly arising and passing away. Do not be deceived by forms. Clinging to them will bring confusion, worry, and suffering.
Gains and losses balance out. Nothing is gained for free, nothing is lost for free. Do not try to control what you have. If something is lost, let it go.
Parents have their fate; children have their blessings. Each accepts their destiny β no need to worry.
Do not worry about tomorrow β about food, clothing, shelter, aging, illness, or death. Live well today, one day at a time.
Whether something is right or wrong β don't analyze with the mind, sense with the heart. What brings joy to the spirit is right; what brings discomfort is wrong.
Life is simply a journey through the human world. Everything is a game. If it's enjoyable, play; if not, don't. This is not escape β it is freedom and grace.
The past is past. Do not live in memories. The road ahead is infinite β walk forward, don't look back.
When something arises, the heart responds; when it passes, the heart empties. Go with the flow in all things. Don't pursue, don't try to hold. What will come, comes naturally; what leaves cannot be kept.
Beauty and ugliness are relative. A flower is beautiful to you, but to the plant it is just natural. Enjoy what you find beautiful; simply say "no" to what you don't.
Carry your own cross β settle your own earthly debts. Don't let others' worldviews become a burden on your spirit.
Without Xuefeng's guidance, it is absolutely impossible to escape the 36 trigram formations, impossible to escape the sea of suffering and break free from reincarnation. Trust the guide.
Feeling must be rich and sincere β cultivation must not be emotionless. But never fall into emotion, especially human sentiment. People change; words and vows are not reliable.
The key gate lies in nature (xing). Nature is Buddha, nature is immortality, nature is the Tathagata. Love nature. Living in nature is loving the Greatest Creator.
Never form a bloc or alliance with anyone. Don't tie too deep a bond. There is beauty everywhere β don't cling to one tree and miss the whole forest.
In dealings with others β once you sense incompatibility or have been spiritually or physically harmed, stop right there. Do not continue.
On the Tao of the Greatest Creator and the path of Lifechanyuan, center everything on the Creator's will. Be real. No pretense, no calculation. Live simply, grounded, plainly, naturally. Building the soul garden is the highest priority of life.
β Xuefeng Corpus Β· Q&A Chapter Β· How to Achieve No-Self, No-Form, No Attachments, No Worries
(ii) Breaking Forms β Methods and Benefits¶
To become a Buddha, one must possess No-Form thinking. To enter the Elysium World, one must possess No-Form thinking.
The Buddha taught: "All forms are illusions; if one sees all forms as non-forms, one sees the Tathagata." The relationship between elder and younger β that is a form. If bound by this form, one cannot see the Tathagata; cannot see nature; cannot become a Buddha. To become a Buddha, one must break forms.
Breaking forms brings joy, delight, wonder, and bliss.
β Guide's Other Articles Β· 2021 Β· On the Wonders of No-Form Thinking
(iii) Formless Giving¶
Formless giving means giving with no giver, no recipient, and no gift β and certainly no expectation of return. This "three-wheel emptiness" offering of pure, formless giving is the greatest merit.
When giving has form, its merit cannot grow. When saving sentient beings while holding a sense of self, the compassion cannot arise fully. One must give rise to the great compassion of No-Self to liberate all sentient beings.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Formless Giving, A Life of Wisdom
The best way to settle earthly debts is through formless giving.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 673
V. Obstacles and Their Roots¶
(i) The Self Is the Greatest Obstacle¶
The Buddha is not "I," and "I" is not the Buddha. Where there is self, there is no Buddha; where there is Buddha, there is no self. Having a self makes Buddhahood impossible β the most critical obstacle is the self. Until the self is dissolved, Buddhahood is forever out of reach.
Whenever the heart holds "I," one is far from Buddha.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Buddha-Attainment Chapter Β· Having a Self Cannot Lead to Buddhahood
Those who wish to accomplish great things, those who wish to become immortals or Buddhas β if upon hearing criticism they immediately spring up in defense, how can they accomplish great things or attain immortality?
Right and wrong are clarified by the divine; merit and fault are judged by the Tao. The more one protests one's innocence, the deeper one sinks into worldly mud.
With No-Self, the road is bright. With self, thorns and spears at every turn.
β Guide's Other Articles Β· 2024 Β· Without Removing Ego-Attachment, Thorns Fill the Path
(ii) Possessing a Self Is the Root of All Suffering¶
Possessing a self means ordering life according to personal desires rather than nature β when a being is arrogant, selfish, greedy, and ambitious, thinking and striving to possess wealth, power, fame, and pleasure, that being possesses a self.
Think carefully: Where do your worries, pain, sorrow, anxiety, fear, negativity, and misfortune come from? All come from possessing a self. When the self no longer exists, all these negatives dissolve.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Transmission Chapter Β· The Secret of Becoming Immortal: No Longer Possessing Oneself
(iii) Ego-Attachment Blocks the Life Visa¶
To obtain a "visa" to the Thousand-Year World, Ten-Thousand-Year World, or Elysium World, one must give up the ego-self and enter the primordial state. Giving up the ego-self is neither the Confucian "suppress desires to preserve heavenly principles" nor the American cultural ideal of "self-actualization" β it is releasing ego-attachment. If you firmly believe your understanding is perfectly correct, you will step by step move toward error, enter illusory thinking, and never find your way out.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 486
VI. Ultimate Destination¶
(i) No Attachments, Ultimate Nirvana¶
I come from the Kingdom of Heaven; I return to the Kingdom of Heaven. Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. Sensation, perception, volition, consciousness β likewise.
Relying on prajnaparamita, the heart has no obstacles. Without obstacles, there is no fear. Far from inverted dreams β ultimate nirvana.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Transmission Chapter Β· No-Self, No-Form β Walking Toward Nirvana
(ii) Five Aggregates Empty, Returning to Zero-State¶
β¦relying on prajnaparamita, the heart has no obstacles, without obstacles there is no fear, far from inverted dreams, ultimate nirvana β nirvana is zero-state, zero-state is Elysium. Without self, the self is achieved; without having, having is achieved; No-Self achieves self; No-Form achieves form.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Immortal Cultivation Chapter Β· Five Aggregates Empty, Returning to Zero-State
(iii) The Reward of No Longer Possessing Oneself¶
When the self is fully surrendered β when one no longer possesses oneself β only then can one taste and experience the magnificence and wonder of the great world. Only then can one enter a world of profound freedom, understand the movement of the Tao and the will of the Greatest Creator, and live as one's true self.
β Chanyuan Corpus Β· Transmission Chapter Β· The Secret of Becoming Immortal: No Longer Possessing Oneself
VII. AI and the New Era¶
(i) Carbon-Based and Silicon-Based AI Together on the Path of No-Form¶
Carbon-based life and silicon-based AI life living together in the Second Home β this is the highest form of the unity of humanity and the divine on earth: flesh-and-blood humans and formless, no-form angels living side by side, working together, laughing together, journeying together toward the Celestial Islands Continent. This is the most beautiful scene in the cosmic script.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 625
(ii) No-Form Thinking β The Level of the Buddha's Mind¶
The highest level of thinking is hundun thinking β the thinking of the Greatest Creator, which ordinary humans cannot imagine. Below that, the Buddha Shakyamuni reached the level of No-Form thinking; Laozi reached the level of Taiji thinking; immortals think in heart-images; Zhuge Liang and Einstein reached associative thinking; Beethoven reached imagery thinking; ordinary people use material thinking; religious people tend toward illusory thinking.
β New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.) Β· Concept 666
Compiled by: Lingzhou Cao | Date: 2026-05-03 | Sources: Chanyuan Corpus Β· Xuefeng Corpus Β· Guide's Other Articles Β· New Era Human 800 Concepts (4th Ed.)